Extreme Knitting Redhead: Mary Massage Lady

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Mary Massage Lady

I thought it was about time that Mary got a mention on here because she helps keep me injury-free. She may look all sweet and innocent here but she has the boniest fingers in the world, which she uses to great effect in torturing me!

You see, Mary provides me with what's known as a Sports Massage, aka soft tissue massage. Now don't be mislead by the word 'massage' which implies something gentle and soothing - it's anything but, as anyone who has experienced it will attest. However, what Mary does is find any stiff bits in my muscles and works deep down in the tissue to loosen them off. I first met her nearly 3 years ago when I was having terrible trouble with running related injuries and she worked miracles on my tight ITB, or Illiotibial Band (which is like an elastic band running from the hip to the knee). It was the most painful treatment I have ever had but it worked really well and now I trust Mary to spot any problems before they get too bad.

Yesterday I went to see her for a general pre-marathon loosening session. She did some work on my neck and back, both of which have been very stiff lately (probably pre-race tension) and just worked all over my legs to make sure I'm in good shape for the big day. I'd recommend it to anyone and would hate to miss my sessions.

Thanks Mary, you're a star for keeping me mobile (even though I squeal and grumble when you dig deep into my muscles)!

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

Thank you for taking the time to read mum's story and I hope you'll dig deep and sponsor me using the link below to help find a way of beating this destructive disease.